Selector



Nov. 30,1926. 1,609,146

J. H. WHEELOCK SELECTOR Original Filed June 13, 1917 I; lllllllllllllllllll avwe-wtoz T J mwmuoux.

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Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HERBERT WHEELOCK, OF FITZWILLIAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSEGNOR TO SIG- NAL ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A COR- PORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SELECTOR.

My present invention relates to selective control mechanism of general application to mechanical as well as to electrical systems, although in the specific embodiment disclosed in the drawings it is shown applied to electric call or annunciator systems.

It is an object of the invention to provide mechanism of the above type of rugged and compact construction involving few parts and adapted to be conveniently and expeditiously set at will for effecting any of the various successions of operations within the range of the apparatus.

.t iccoi'ding to one feature of the invention, the mechanism comprises an actuating or operatingcontrol member carrying a plurality of elements by each of which the controlled apparatus is adapted to be actuated, a single setting member being employed for setting the controlling elements for any desired succession of operations.

In the preferred embodiment, the actuating or operating control member comprises a disk, the controlling elements carried thereby are adapted to project outwardly from the periphery thereof and the setting member comprises a key which may be set in any of a plurality of different positions, in each of which, corresponding selected controlling elements will be projected to active position.

In the preferred specific construction the operating elements are plungers extending radially of the disk and asymmetrically ar ranged, the inner ends thereof normally projectinginto an axial opening for a key having asymmetrically arranged bits. Depending on the position in which the single key is inserted, different combinations of plungers will be urged outwardly by the bits or by some of them.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of theseveral features of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment,

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same with out the casing, looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, some parts being shown in section,

Fig. 3 is a side view thereof,

Divided and this application filed March 8,

Fig. l is an end view of the casing in position,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the key hole,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the key; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the selector key.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a base 1 having preferably integral therewith a pair of parallel supporting plates 2 and 3 extending upwardly therefrom for carrying the constituent parts of a spring motor construction of any appropriate type. In the embodiment shown the spring drum 4: extends from the plate 2 and the various elements of the transmission gearing 5, the details of which are not material, are journalled in the two plates 2 and The gear-- ing preferably includes any desired speed governing means which may be in the form of the usual fan 6. The spring motor serves to rotate a shaft 7 carrying an auctuator 8. The actuator has operating projections that may be set at will, so that upon rotation of the actuator relative to toe device or devices to be operated, the actions will occur at predetermined relative time intervals depending upon the setting of the actuator. In the preferred application to annunciators or call systems there is employed a contactor 1O pivoted as at 11 to the wall and carrying an electric contact 12 for cooperation with a fixed contact 13, in circuit with a source of current, such as a battery 14- and a sound making device of any appropriate type such as a hell or buzzer 15. A spring l-O coiled about pivot 11 urges the contactor to open circuit position and against a limit stop 17 as shown in Fig. 2. A curved tongue 16 on the contactor lies in the path of the operating projections so that upon rotation in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, the circuit will be closed by the engagement of a projection with tongue 16. As soon as the projection has moved past the contactor tongue, spring 40 snaps the contactor to open circuit position as shown in Fig. 2.

The actuator preferably comprises a disk of substantial thickness having a plurality of plunger pins 19 extending in radial passages 20 of materially larger diameter than the pins, said passages communicating with an axial passas e or keyhole 21 through eonstricted portions 22, the latter serving as bearings for the plungers. Hubs 23 fitting into the outer ends of passages serve as the outer bearings for the plungers. Coil springs encircle the plunger pins and are disposed between hubs 2?; and projections on the plungers. The spring;v will thus normally ui ''e the plunger pins 19 in rd ly to project into the keyhole 21 asbest shown in Fig. 5.

irny particular plunger pin can be set into operative position by pushing the inner end thereof out of the keyhole causing the outer end to project beyond the hub as at 26 in Fig. 2. In the form of the invention specilically claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 175,427 filed June 18, 1917, patented January 17, 1922, as No. 1, 1 3,996 of which the present application is a division, difierent keys were employed one for each setting. In the present embodiment one and the same key serves to effect any setting within the range of the apparatus, depending only upon the position in which the key is placed. In the preferred form the radially extending plunger-s are located mostly to one side of a diameter of the actuator as best shown in Fig. 2. In the specific embodiment shown there are eight such plungera 19 and 19 etc., arranged at equal angles of about about the periphery of the actuator. The angle between projections 19 and 19 is therefore much greater than that between other successive plungers, in the present case about For setting the actuator into desired operative position, the key or selector member in the specific embodiment shown coniprises a handle or finger grip portion 27, and a shank 28. The shank has tive longitudinal projections or bits 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33 rigid therewith, which extend radially from the cylindrical surface thereof, four of said projections being equidistant from each other and at the same distance as the inner ends of the plungers, the fifth projection or hit being spaced from bit 32 at double the d stance between the other bits. The outer ends of the key bits are upon the radius of a circle equal in diameter to that of the keyhole 21 so that when the key is inserted in any position in which a bit comes into registry with the inner end of a plunger, the said plunger will be urged radially outwardly to project beyond the corresponding hub 23 as best shown at 26 in Fig. 2 and it is kept in such position until the key is withdrawn. Such plunger will therefore to projected into operative position so that as the actuator rotated in the direction of the arrow, it will thereby come into contact with the operating end of the contactor to close the circuit.

IYhen the key is inserted in the position shown in Fig. 2 it will be seen that bit 33 is in registry with plunger 19 and bits 29, 30, 31 and 32 respectively in registry with plungers 19', 19 19 and 19. Plungers 19, 19 19 19 and 19 are, therefore, in operative position and plungers 19", 19 and 19 are in inoperative position. If the actuator is now rotated at uniform speed in the direction of the arrow, the contactor will be operated by the projecting end of plunger 19 and after a relatively long interval it will be actuated in more rapid succession by plunger-s 19", 19 19 and 19. The signal 14 will, therefore, be given. Obviously if the key be inserted with the bit 29, to the left of its position in Fig. 2, the said bit would be out of registry with all plungers d the signal 13 would be given. Similarly if the key is inserted with both bits 29 and 30 to the left of and bit 31 in re"- isiry with plunger 19, the signal 12 won 11 be given. If the key is inserted in such position as to dispose the bit 33 out of registry with all of the plungers that to the lett of plunger 19 then the signals 1, 2,

3 or a may be given, depending upon the position of the key as will be apparent. All other positions of the key would give either no result or a repetition of some of those mentioned.

Thus by my construction a single key only is required for setting the actuator to give any succession of operations desired, depending merely upon the position in which the key is inserted.

Preferably the entire apparatus is enclosed by a cover 35, the shank 28 of the key extending through a hole 36 in a side wall 37 of the cover. Indications corresponding to the various signals are marked on wall 37 as shown in Fig. 4, there being a pointer 38 on the side of the key in such position that the key need merely be inserted with the pointer 38 in registry with the indication of the signal desired, in order to correspondingly set the actuator. A winding crank 39 for the spring motor projects from the wall Q0. The shank 41 of the crank has slidably mounted therein a ratchet 42, cooperating with a ratchet 43 loose upon the shank and formed on the rear of gear 44, one of the elements of the transmission. A coil spring 15 urges the ratchet elements into cooperation. hen the crank 39 is turned by raising it away from stop 16, member 42 ratchets over its companion 13 and the spring motor is energized. Upon release of the handle, the spring transmits torque through the ratchet and rotates the actuator through one revolution, whereupon, the crank reaches its stop d6 and further rotation is prevented.

For operation therefore. the key is first inserted in the desired position in the keyhole, and the crank is then raised, Whereupon, the actuator will be rotated by the spring motor at uniform speed, stop 46 limiting the actuator against rotation through a greater angle. The succession of operations for which the actuator was set will therefore be performed.

It will, of course, be apparent that a greater variety of signals than possible in the specific embodiment of drawings can be effected by obvious modifications of the construction. For instance, if a sixth bit be placed adjacent bit 33 and spaced therefrom by theunit distance between hits, it will be apparent that in addition to the signals disclosed, the signals 21, 22, 23 and 24 could be given. It will also be apparent that the arrangement of the operating projections need not be exactly as shown but that, broadly, if the operating projections are asymmetrically arranged in the sense that they are non-uniformly distributed about the actuator in any desired manner, it will be possible by the use of a single key of appropriate construction to produce a variety of different successions of operations, depending merely upon the position in which the key is inserted.v

It will be apparent that the plunger type of operating projection although preferred is not essential to the broader aspects of the invention. Broadly. the actuator may have operating conformations of any appropriate construction arranged to be selectively set into operative position by a single-operation of a complementary key or other selector member.

Although the actuator has its preferred application to call or annunciator systems, it will be apparent that it is broadly applicable as a control element in any of a Wide variety of mechanisms, electrical as well as mechanical, for effecting any desired succession of operations of one or more controlled elements and at desired relative intervals. Thus, the actuator might be employed to good effect as the switch actuating rotor of a continuously-operating electric sign flasher.

I claim 1. In a device of the character described, in combination, a contactor, a rotary actuating member therefor carrying a plurality of relatively radially movable control projec-tions arranged asymmetrically thereof, a single cylindrical selector member having radial operating portions asymn'ietrically arranged around it adapted to be brought into engagement with selected projections and to move them to operative position, whereby, depending upon the position in which said selector member is placed relative to said actuating member the latter may be set selectively for effecting any of a plurality of different successions of contactor operations.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination, a contactor, a rotary diskshaped actuating member carrying a plurality of control pieces asymmetrically arranged adapted to project from the periphery thereof, a single selector member having operating portions extending therefrom around a center for setting said control pieces, said operating portions being asymmetrically arranged, whereby depending up on the position in which said selector member is placed relative to said rotary member, the latter may be set selectively for effecting any of a plurality of different successions of contactor operations.

3. In a device of the character described, in combination, an actuator having a plurality of operating members, a single manually operated selector member to effect by a single operation, a predetermined setting of said operating members, said operating members being asymmetrically arranged around a circle and said selector member having circumferentially asymmetrically arranged operating portions, whereby depending upon the position in which said selector member is placed relative to said actuating member, the same may selectively effect any of a plurality of different control settings thereof.

4. In a device of the character described, in combination, a contactor, a disk-shaped rotary actuating member therefor carrying a plurality of substantially equidistant control members mainly to one side of a diameter thereof, all of said controls being accessible from a point removed from said periphery, a selector member having a plurality of operating conformations asymmetrically arranged around it and adapted to be set in at any angle around a center to contact said control members at said removed portions for setting the same, whereby a single selector member may be used for producing any of a plurality of settings of said actuating member, depending upon the position in which it is applied to the operating members.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a movable member having a keyhole therein, a series of plunger-s projecting into the keyhole and arranged to be moved by the insertion of a. key therein to project their outer ends beyond their normal positions, said plungers being located mainly to one side of a diameter of said movable member, a key provided with a series of projections on one side having spaces between them of two different widths circumferentially, whereby the key can be inserted in different positions in the keyhole to produce different results, and means whereby as said member moves the projected plungers will complete an electric circuit.

6. In a device of the character described,

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in combination, an actuator having a plurality of operating projections normally in inactive position and asymmetrically arranged about the periphery, and a selector member adapted to be brought into coaction with selected operating members to move the latter into active position, said selector member having operating portions arranged at different distances from each other around a circumference, whereby ditl'erent settings of said actuator may be effected by placing said selector member at different angles.

7. In apparatus ol the character described, in combination, a disk, a plurality of radial pins thereon, means urging said pins inwardly and a selector key adapted to be placed in an opening in the face or said disk and having projections adapted to contac the radially innermost ends of selected pins, said pins being asymmetrically arranged around said disk and said operating projections asymmetrically arranged around said key.

8. In apparatus of the character described,

in combination, a disk, a plurality of radially extending pins slidably fitting at their inner ends in radial passages in said disk and extending with clearance through the outer portions of said disk, hubs at the periphery of said disk forming guides for the outer ends of said rods, projections intermediate the ends of said rod, coil springs encircling said rods and interposed between said hubs and said projections, thereby urging said rods radially inwardly, said rods being located mainly to one side of a diameter of said disk, and a selector key adapted to be placed in an axial opening in said disk and having asymmetrically arranged projections to contact the innermost ends of said rods for causing any of a plurality of selected groups of rods to project beyond the corresponding hubs.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination of a rotary disk having an axial key-hole therein, a series of radial plungers carried by said disk and projectin into the key-hole, a key axially provided with projections, whereby when the key is inserted these projections will force certain of the plungers outwardly to cause their ends to project beyond the surface of the disk, a contact maker in position to be moved by the projecting end or said plungers during the rotation of said disc, and a contact positioned in the path of movement of the contact maker to be engaged thereby.

Signed at Keene in the county of Cheshire and State of New Hampshire, this 4th da} of March A. D. 1921.

JOHN HERBERT WHEELOCK. 

